Federal and local police made several arrests, confiscated several guns and seized as much as three and half pounds of crack cocaine during raids this morning at the Commodore Perry Homes.

Most of the actions centered around 124 Fulton St. and 305 Perry, two high rises near downtown.

An unknown number of guns were seized and several arrests were made, although police refused to say how many early this morning.

Mayor Byron W, Brown likening this morning’s drug raids to the 1991 movie “New Jack City,” based on the crack cocaine epidemic of the mid- to late-1980s in New York City and the battle to take down the drug dealers.

Those arrested today operated in much the same way at the Perry Homes at the edge of downtown, Brown said.

“These criminals had almost taken control of the environment. People were fearful and felt like they had no choice but to tolerate this criminal activity,” Brown said, adding that the raids have dismantled the operation and that the investigation continues.

Brown and Buffalo Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda made their comments during a late morning news briefing prior to the main news conference set for 2 p.m. with U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. outside one of the Perry apartment buildings, where a raid was conducted.

The drug dealers and gang members, Derenda said, are believed to be responsible for robberies, assaults and homicides.

Raids early this morning were also carried out in other sections of the city and elsewhere in Erie County.

“We have sent a message through these drug raids and to gang members that they will not go undetected and their criminal activity will not go unpunished,” Brown said in expressing thanks to Hochul and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.

The joint investigation included members of the Buffalo Police, FBI, DEA and other law enforcement agencies.